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Calling all apprentices, employers, and individuals who champion apprenticeships… the National Apprenticeship Awards 2020 are now open for entries!

Back for their 17th year, the National Apprenticeship Awards are a fantastic opportunity to showcase the apprentices, employers and champions who have gone above and beyond, in spite of the challenges faced during the pandemic.

Entries to the awards are open until 25 September 2020 and this year’s winners will be recognised via virtual ceremonies. It is free to enter the awards, and all entries must be made through our application website.

We have nine categories to recognise exceptional employers, apprentices and apprenticeship champions:

Employer of the Year categories:

• SME Employer of the Year (for organisations with 1 to 249 employees)
• Large Employer of the Year (for organisations with 250 to 4,999 employees)
• Macro Employer of the Year (for organisations with 5,000+ employees)
• Recruitment Excellence (the winner is selected from Employer of the Year award entries, and will be awarded to an organisation that has recruited a diverse and high quality apprenticeship workforce).

Apprentice of the Year and Apprenticeship Champion categories:

• Intermediate Apprentice of the Year (level 2)
• Advanced Apprentice of the Year (level 3)
• Higher or Degree Apprentice of the Year (level 4 or higher)
• Rising Star of the Year* (nominated by their employer, this award recognises apprentices that have made impressive progress in their career to date, and have the potential to go even further)
• Apprenticeship Champion of the Year (recognises individuals who go ‘above and beyond’ to champion apprenticeships. The nomination is made by a colleague or contact who recognises an individual’s ‘champion’ credentials).
  * The Rising Star category will not include a public vote this year due to the condensed format of the awards

We have produced two webinars to explain the awards process in more detail, including hints and tips on completing your application.

These can be accessed here:

• Employer and Rising Star webinar
• Apprentice and Apprenticeship Champion webinar

Regional Ceremonies will take place online between 2 and 6 November, with the national ceremony taking place online on Wednesday 25 November.

Find out more about the National Apprenticeship Awards 2020 here.

Please join the conversation on Twitter using @Apprenticeships and #AppAwards20